Angry villagers torch army vehicles after the encounter in Oting village (Image Credit: PTI)
The Nagaland Police has taken up a suo moto case against the Indian Army after a counter-insurgency operation in the state went terribly wrong on Sunday, killing 14 civilians and 1 Army officer in the resulting chaos. An FIR has been filed against 21 Para special forces of the Indian Army in connection with the case.
"It is to be noted that at the time of incident there was no police guide nor security forces did make requisition to police station to provide police guide for their operation. Hence it is obvious that the intention of security forces is to murder and injure civilians," read a copy of the FIR by the state police as reported by NDTV.
The operation in the Oting village of the Mon area which borders Myanmar was conducted without adequate involvement of local police the FIR alleges. According to reports, the soldiers fired on a truck carrying coal mine labourers, killing 6 instantly whereas 2 died later in hospital. The incident sparked outrage in nearby villages which prompted locals to march on the Army men with machetes and torches, resulting in retaliatory firing that killed 5 and injured several others.
The Army and Central government had issued their apology and condolences for the series of events, assuring the public that a full inquiry would be conducted into the incident in the form of an SIT probe.
Regretting the loss of lives, the Assam Rifles said a specific operation was planned in Tiry based on the credible intelligence of a likely movement of insurgents. "Cause of loss of lives is being probed by a Court of Inquiry at highest level and appropriate action will be taken," the Assam Rifles said, as reported by ANI.
It is alleged that the information received by the Army caused them to take up the operation to quell the movement of members of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN-K) who engage in kidnapping and extortion. However no arms or other weapons were recovered from the deceased.